“I’ll stop by the body shop to see when they can get to it. They can have my key to your car. In the meantime, I’ll call the insurance company, and we’ll get you a rental car. But if the doctor said no driving today, then no driving today, even if you think you feel fine. I mean it, Beck. We still don’t know what happened.”
“I do have my appointment with Dr. Levine today, and I really need to go so he can check everything out.”
“I’m not even sure I want you leaving the house, but I know the doctor’s appointment is important. I’m sure Mrs. Ritter would take you.”
“Okay then, Mrs. Ritter it is, and if she can’t take me for some reason, I’ll call an Uber. Would that make you feel better?”
“Yes, it does. But I’m serious about you getting some rest today.”
She walked with him to the front door, and he turned to kiss her goodbye. “Call me after your appointment and check in.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” She took in the stern expression on his face. “Okay, okay. I promise I’ll call you.”
As the door shut behind Bryan, Becky soaked in the silence. She glanced down at the feel of soft fur on her ankles. The low rumble of Sherlock’s purring echoed upward as he wound himself in a figure-eight around her legs. He paused to meet her gaze, his amber eyes fixed hopefully on her.
“Wanna go out?” she asked.
He meowed in response, and Becky opened the sliding door off the kitchen to let him onto the screened-in porch. Most days when she was home, she left the door open for him just enough so he could come and go as he pleased.
Becky went back to her cell phone to check in at the boutique.
Tonya answered, the concern evident in her voice. “Are you okay? Bryan called last night, and I told him everything was fine when you left the store. What the hell happened?”
Becky recapped the details of the previous night and reassured Tonya it wasn’t as bad as Bryan had made it sound.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine by tomorrow. I could come in today, but Bryan wasn’t having any of that.”
“Well, if I know you, you won’t be able to stay away long. If you’re up to it, come on in, and if you’re not, don’t worry about it. Really. Anna’s working tomorrow too. The delivery is coming from Kara, the new jewelry designer, so I want to get that all set up when it comes in.”
“Oh, I love her stuff. Okay. My plan is to come in tomorrow and help, but if anything changes, I’ll call or text you.” A chime rang throughout the house. “Gotta go, the doorbell’s ringing.”
Becky opened the door to find Mrs. Ritter on the front porch holding a small wicker basket with a gingham napkin folded over the top. The sweet smell of ripe bananas and toasted walnuts wafted in her direction and made her mouth water.
“Just wanted to drop these off. Good for what ails you, honey.”
Becky took the offering and felt the muffins were still warm. “These could cure anything. C’mon in.”
Mrs. Ritter followed Becky into the house. “I didn’t want to disturb you. Bryan said you’re supposed to be taking it easy today.”
“Well, I’m supposed to be resting today,” Becky said as she set the basket on the counter. “But first I have an appointment with the fertility doctor for my scan.” Becky sat at the kitchen table, and Mrs. Ritter took the seat across from her. “I also want to check with the doctor about last night. Need to make sure none of the hormones I’m taking could have affected my vision while I was driving.”
“Oh, dear. Do you think that’s what happened?”
“I have no idea. It’s not a side effect that I can remember, but I need to ask the doctor.”
“Well, I agree. That could be quite dangerous.”
“I don’t have my car since it’s at the body shop, and Bryan wasn’t about to let me take his. He’s not too keen on me driving quite yet. Do you think you could take me?”
“I agree with that husband of yours that you shouldn’t be driving yet. Of course I can take you. But you promise you’ll come home afterward and take it easy?”
“I promise, and really, I do feel fine now. My appointment is at eleven-thirty.”
As Becky’s cell phone on the table rang, Mrs. Ritter pushed her chair back from the kitchen table. “I’ll leave you to answer that. I’ll be back to get you at eleven.”
Chapter Seven
Jules
Jules paced back and forth in her kitchen with the phone to her ear. Just when she thought she might get voicemail again, there was an answer.
“Hey, I was actually just about to call you,” Becky said.
“I need a little pep talk. You have time?”
“Of course. Everything okay? Is the blind date chasing you after your escape from Riley’s?”
Jules let out a snort. “No. I tried to call you last night after I left. When I went back to my car, I ended up stalking Tim at the restaurant and then got caught by the blind date.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, Tim was at Riley’s for dinner. I’m not sure, but I think he caught me lurking in the bushes. I was trying to see if he was on a date, but he was with his mom. And then, when I tried to flee, the blind date caught me.”
“Only you, Jules.”
“I know! That’s what I said, but right now I have more pressing matters.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My parents are on their way over.” Jules let out a nervous sigh. “I decided I need to tell them about my DNA tests.”
“Oh.” There was a moment of silence on the line. “How do you think they’re going to take the news?”
“Not sure. I hope I can make them understand this has nothing to do with them. They’re amazing, and I love them. It’s just…” Jules’s voice trailed off. Her parents had been nothing short of wonderful, and yet she still felt she needed to know where her story had started. “This isn’t anything they did. You know I never lacked for anything from them, least of all love.”
“True. Your parents were so obsessed with everything you did. I mean, who can blame them? I’ll never forget when your mom sat in the front row during the kindergarten play and mouthed all your lines to you, and you kept stopping the play and complaining, ‘Mommy, I can’t hear you.’”
Jules’s lips curved up at the memory. “I need to have answers, and it’ll never make me love them any less. But you know, they’re getting older. It kills me to do anything to hurt them.”